


In the red

by NYWCgirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Alternate Ending, Episode Related, Friendship, Gen, Gunshot Wounds, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 04:04:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8431201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: The fic is an alternate ending for Season 2, Episode 6 ‘In the red’. What if The mum was armed during the exchange.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ashley5627](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashley5627/gifts).



> Written for Ashley5627 who asked for a fic where Neal gets hurt saving a kid for Fall fest 2016 .

“Twelve past 4, still no sign of our jewel thief.” Peter sighs.

“Lift a hundred grand worth of stones from Bloustein's, you wanna unload them as fast as possible.”

“Give it time.”

“Your gut still telling you it's an inside job?”

“ Why do you ask?”

“Because I have an Andrew Jackson telling me it wasn't.”

“I'll take your money, Jones.”

“Get out your wallets, gentlemen.”

“Here comes our suspect.”

The cars tops and Neal walks out to it, briefcase in hand.

“Let's make this quick.”

“Run the plate.”

“Got it. Catherine Mcmillan.”

“Bloustein's assistant manager.”

“Oh.”

“Pretty happy with yourself, huh?”

“I'm not the one who bet against the gut.”

 

* *  * 

“So how does this work? You show me the cash, I show you the jewelry?”

Their suspect is nervous. Neal needs to calm her down, so this doesn´t go sour.

“You gonna let me in? This isn't a drug deal in a parking lot.” He tries to calm her down by being casual. She hesitates. “I'm not flashing this much cash in the open.” Neal tells her.

“You alone? Please show me the money.”

This is definitely not a hard core criminal, she strikes Neal more like a soccer mum who wants to buy some weed on the parking lot behind a club. And then suddenly his eye falls on the toy train next to her on the passenger seat. He quickly glances in the back, and there he is, a small boy. Shit, he needs to do something, before she triggers the agents with her nervousness.

“Maybe you should reconsider. The right buyer would pay you twice what I'm offering.”

Neal knows he is going to get shit about this from Peter, but she really isn´t really a felon. At first she doesn´t respond to the opening he is giving her, but then she starts talking.  
  


* *  *

“Why is he trying to talk her out of it?” Something is amiss, what does Neal know that they don´t?.

“Soft spot for a pretty lady?”

“What are you doing, Neal?”

“ _Show me the stones_.”

_“The deal was for a hundred thousand.”_

_“I know how much the deal was for.”_

_“I'd like my money now.”_

_“It's all there. You can count it.”_

Peter can see Neal reaching in the SUV for something.

“Count it, that's our signal.”

“Move in, move in.”

Neal pulls out of the window with something in his hand. Guns are being aimed and readied.

“No guns.” He shouts.

Neal is holding a toy train above his head.

“No guns, guys.”

He turns so all the agents can see what he is holding and what it means. The agents lower their weapons while moving in.

A gun shot sounds and everybody is looking confused checking out who has fired a shot.

“Who fired?” Peter barks in his radio. He gets negatives from all the agents.

And then everybody sees the blood spreading across Neal´s side. He looks confused at it himself, before his knees buckle.

“Man down!”

A child is screaming in the back seat of the car. An agent catches Neal and drags him away from the SUV. Everything seems to happen at once.

“Drop your weapon, drop it.”

The rest of the agents take down their suspect.

Peter and Diana rush over to where Neal is placed on the sidewalk. Peter can hear Jones call an ambulance.

“Neal?”

Peter gently shakes Neal while Diana presses down on the wound to his side.

“What happened?” Neal rouses when Diana applies pressure, intensifying his agony. He does his best to breathe through the pain.

“You got shot trying to save that kid. His mum was armed.”

“Please don't take away my son.” They can hear Catherine cry out.

“What happens now?”

“Don't hold your breath for a mother and son reunion. How are you holding up Neal?”

“It´s OK.”

But Peter can see he isn´t fine at all, he is pale as a sheet and sweat is forming in his hair line.

“Where is that ambulance?” Peter calls out to Jones while he accepts an emergency blanket from one of the agents in the van. He carefully places it on top of Neal so he doesn´t lose too much body heat.

“Hey Neal, stay awake, OK, don´t close your eyes, I know you are tired, but stay with us, OK?”

“Kay.” Neal slurs.

Peter lets out a relieved sigh when he hears a siren. The sound is cut the moment the ambulance pulls up. Two paramedics walk up to them and quickly check Neal out. Since he is conscious, the checkup is easy and efficient. Neal is placed on the gurney after a pressure bandage is applied.

“We are taking him to Sinai.”

“OK. Neal, we will drive behind you, do you understand?”

Neal just nods.

 

* *  *

 

“What is going to happen to Catherine and her son?”

Peter stopped by at June´s. Neal had his physical test today and passed, so he is cleared for office work again. Neal hands Peter a bottle of beer and is nursing a glass of San Pellegrino. No tap water for Neal Caffrey, Peter thinks.

“She will go to trial for assault with a firearm, punishment ranges from two to thirty years. But since you won´t press charges against her, she will be offered a deal and can obtain a misdemeanor range of punishment. Usually it is capped at about a year or two in jail.”

“But she will lose her son if she goes to jail.”

“Her parents have stepped up and they will take custody over the boy. Child Protective services already agreed to the deal.”

“It is better than nothing. The boy shouldn´t be punished for the mistakes of his mum.”

Peter realizes this is coming close for Neal and decides to change the subject.

“I understood that you have your physical today.”

“Yeah, can´t wait to get back to work. You know, it was nice to be able to stay at home, paint, read, but I done with the staying indoors thing now.”

“And you feel well?”

“Yeah, it was just a flesh wound that needed stitches.”

“But you lost a lot of blood.”

“And that is replenished by now. I am ready, it is not that I am allowed on field duty anyway.”

“Neal Caffrey, desk jockey. You will be out and about soon enough. Makes it easier for me to keep track of you.” Peter smiles, there is no venom in his voice.

Neal snorts.

“I am leaving you to join my lovely wife for dinner. I will pick you up tomorrow morning.”

“Bright and early.” Neal smiles.


End file.
